Managers do funny things with their pitching staffs in the playoffs. In fact, they're expected to. Walter Alston is still criticized for not using Don Drsydale on zero days rest in 1962, for crying out loud.

Joe Maddon made an unconventional decision with his pitching staff, and if the Tampa Bay Rays don't win this series, it might haunt him for quite some time. Maddon had a game in hand, and when managers are in that situation, they usually go for the throat with their best pitcher and worry about the consequences later.

Is that the best strategy? I can't say I know the answer to that. But here's a look at some cases where a manager had a game in hand in a seven-game series, and what he did with it.

1958 World Series: The Braves led the Yankees 3 games to 2, and had a choice of starting Bob Rush, who had given up two earned runs in six innings four days earlier, or Warren Spahn on two days rest. Fred Haney went with Spahn, and stayed with him until the Yankees rallied for the winning runs in the 10th inning. Lew Burdette had to start the seventh game, also on two days rest, and ran out of gas in the eighth as the Yankees won the series. The story goes that one of the first things Fidel Castro asked reporters after taking over Cuba in 1959 was why Haney started Spahn in Game 6.

1959 World Series: The Dodgers led the White Sox 3-1, and Johnny Podres (14-9, 4.11) would be going on 3 days rest in Game 5. Instead, Alston started Sandy Koufax (8-6, 4.06). Koufax lost 1-0. Rather than start Don Drysdale on 3 days rest in Game 6, Alston went with Podres, who won 9-3.

1961 World Series: With the Yankees leading the Reds 3-1, Ralph Houk started Ralph Terry on 3 days rest. Despite being handed a 6-0 lead, Terry was gone by the third inning, but the Yankees won easily anyway. In retrospect, starting Terry looks like a curious decision. Whitey Ford was hurt, remember, so if Bud Daley hadn't held on to the lead, Houk's best options in Game 6 were Bill Stafford on 3 days rest or Rollie Sheldon.

1973 World Series: The Mets led Oakland 3-2 and the A's were expecting New York to start George Stone (12-3, 2.80), who won Game 2 in relief. Instead, Yogi Berra went with Tom Seaver on 3 days rest. Like Spahn in 1958, Seaver lost a close game, and the Mets bypassed Stone again and started Jon Matlack on 3 days rest in Game 7. Matlack didn't make it through the third inning, and Oakland won, 5-2.

1987 World Series: The Cardinals led the Twins 3-2, and had a choice of John Tudor (10-2, 3.84) on 3 days rest or Joe Magrane (9-7, 3.54) on 6 days rest. Although Tudor hadn't started on 3 days rest all season, Whitey Herzog went with Tudor, who lasted four innings and gave up six runs on 11 hits. Herzog then started Magrane in Game 7, and when the Cards lost, Herzog proceeded to whine about how unfair it was that the Twins were able to win with only two good starting pitchers. But if Whitey had done a better job handling his aces, he might not have had anything to whine about.

1996 NLCS Game 5: Going for the throat bit the Cardinals again, as they led the Braves 3-1 but had to face John Smoltz in Game 5. At that point, Smoltz was 26-8 that season (including the playoffs). Tony LaRussa had the option of giving up the game by starting Mark Petkovsek or Danny Jackson. Instead, he gave up the game by starting Todd Stottlemyre on 3 days rest. Like Tudor, Stottlemyre hadn't started on 3 days rest all season. Also like Tudor, Stottlemyre was hammered, drilled, chased and beaten some more. He faced 12 batters, giving up nine hits and seven runs. The Cards started Alan Benes (13-10, 4.90) against Greg Maddux in Game 6, and lost again. In Game 7, LaRussa started Donovan Osborne, who was unable to uphold the fine pitching standard set by Todd Stottlemyre. Osborne faced nine batters, giving up six runs, and was lifted after giving up a triple to Tom Glavine. The Braves won, 15-0.

2003 World Series: The Marlins led the Yankees 3-2, and Jack McKeon had the advantage of being too old to give a damn what anybody thought about what he did with his pitching staff. So he started Josh Beckett on 3 days rest. Had Beckett lost, the Marlins were looking at starting Carl Pavano on 3 days rest in Game 7. But Beckett threw a five-hit shutout, and McKeon looked like a genius.

Joe Maddon still has a chance to look like a genius too. He went with Scott Kazmir, who pitched brilliantly. But Kazmir also hadn't gone longer than six innings in his last 14 starts, and when he left the game, the Red Sox started hitting. Still, he has James Shields ready for Game 6, and Fred Haney, Whitey Herzog and Tony LaRussa should have been so lucky.